Why don’t we go back in time to … oh … let’s say … WWI? While I couldn’t tell you if John Q. Public feared any particular type of dog in this period, I certainly tell you about one he didn’t fear – the “pit bull.” On common propaganda posters, the cartoons of different dogs were often used to represent the different nations fighting in the war. A bulldog represented the British, and if memory serves me correct, a Dachund wearing a spiked helmet often characterized the Germans. As for Americans, we commonly portrayed ourselves as a pit bull type of dog.
The American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier (the two breeds that BSL throws under the category of “pit bull”) were considered the epitome of the American working breeds. According to the American Staffordshire Club of America, these dogs were not known so much for fighting as they were for being an all around farm hand and family companion. Also, the dogs on those posters were chosen to represent America because, to the public at that time, they embodied several of the characteristics that we wanted the world to know also applied to us. They were seen as tough, loyal, courageous, and not afraid to fight if they had to. A far cry from today it seems, doesn’t it?
Now skip ahead a few decades and you can see things really haven’t changed. One of the most famous celebrity dogs of the times was in fact an American Staffordshire Terrier. And what was this dog famous for? Why, he was famous for spending time on the big screen with a bunch of kids who had strange names, like Spanky, Alfalfa, and Buckwheat. Yes, Pete the Pup, one of the most loved dogs of all time, would be labeled as a “pit bull” today.
Now let’s movie ahead to the time after WWII, when there was a breed that people were wary of, the German Shepherd Dog. The reason that this dog was suddenly in the spotlight had to do mainly with the war effort. While the armed forces used many different breeds and mixes as war dogs, GSD’s were the most noticeable. They were also very common as police dogs, as they are today.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Wendy Smith's Rottweiler Dogs topic, please visit the Discussions page.